Honorary Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has questioned the credibility and continued relevance of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) following a missile strike that injured two Ghanaian soldiers serving under the mission.
Speaking on Newsfile on Joy News on Saturday, Mr Simons condemned the attack but said it raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness of the peacekeeping operation in southern Lebanon.
UNIFIL was established to act as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon after Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon, with a mandate to reduce hostilities and support stability along the border.
The mission operates under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which called for a ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah after the 2006 conflict.
According to Mr Simons, the core objectives of the resolution—preventing Israeli incursions and ensuring Hezbollah’s disarmament—have not been achieved.
“The action is utterly condemnable, but we must also ask fundamental questions about the credibility and viability of this particular UNIFIL contingent,” he said.
He argued that preventing Israeli military activity would largely depend on pressure from the United States, while Hezbollah’s disarmament would likely require influence from Iran.
Given these realities, Mr Simons questioned the continued role of UN peacekeepers in the region.
He also noted that the mission is expected to wind down by the end of September and warned about the risks peacekeepers face in the meantime.
Mr Simons urged the government of Ghana to consider accelerating its disengagement from the mission, arguing that UNIFIL may no longer represent a credible peacekeeping force under current geopolitical conditions.
